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“But he decided he could be generous enough to give me a taste of how it felt to be in his arms. A treat to remember when I return to my unglamorous, unhappening life, as he put it. God save me from men who want to save me from my apparently pitiful existence!”
Laughter burst from him so suddenly that Naina startled.
She pushed back into the lounger until her legs were crossed away from his and she could study this gorgeous man with his stunning smile. All evening, she’d thought whatever magical quality she’d been chasing tonight had been nonexistent. That she was foolish to have expected life to be more exciting just because she’d entered a different world for a few hours.
But sitting here with Vikram, and seeing his irreverent smile and knowing that she’d caused it, this was the magic she’d been looking for. This moment, with its explosive, exciting possibilities.
“I’m glad my life is a source of entertainment to you, Mr. Raawal.”
“Vikram.” A simple command.
She shook her head. “I won’t know you long enough to be so presumptuous.”
“Try,” he urged, with a half smile around his mouth, and she found herself nodding. If he smiled like that and asked her to follow him into hell, Naina had a feeling she would do it without a blink.
Was that why so many women—actresses and models and businesswomen alike—fell for him year after year, even knowing that he would never commit to any of them? In-depth details of his love life, if it existed, never graced any magazine or TV channel. Only frequent speculations about his relationship with actress Zara Khan—which by its long-standing nature made the media hungry for more.
“I’m sorry your exciting evening turned out to be...exhausting.”
“It isn’t a complete waste.” She ran her palms over the soft chiffon of her dress and smiled. “I got to dress up and play a star for one evening. I danced with more than one gorgeous stud, I saw things that I never thought I would. I met Husainji, although I’m afraid I made a fool of myself by reciting his own poem back at him. Papa would have loved to be here. For that alone, I’m happy I came tonight.”
He smiled.
“And I got to look beautiful for one night.”
“I have a feeling you look beautiful whatever you’re wearing, Ms....”
False names came and went from Naina’s lips. “Please don’t ask me to tell you my identity. I don’t want to return to the real world just yet.”
“Tell me why you came tonight then.”
“I just heard that my ex is engaged to be married. He...found a girlfriend a mere month after he dumped me and now she’s his fiancée. The other night, I got into an argument with...someone and what they said, it really shook me. I took a good look at my life, at myself, and I just... I became angry with myself.
“Since Papa died, I’ve been flitting from job to job, situation to situation, letting circumstances and other people push me around. For one night, I wanted to be in control. I wanted to...not be in control too. I just didn’t want to be the boring N...girl that people left behind.”
Something shimmered in his eyes, something that looked like desire. But no, that wasn’t possible. This man, this gorgeous superstar couldn’t be attracted to her. For all the makeup and the dress and the glittering mask, she was still only Naina.
Naina Menon, whose sole accomplishment so far had been running away from her own life. Despite the smiles and down-to-earth attitude of his, Vikram was used to seeing perfection from sunup to sundown.
“I’m sorry,” she said, looking away. “I don’t think I’m making much sense.”
His hand reached for hers on the back of the sofa, barely touching the tips of her fingers. The slight contact was teasing, yet grounding. As if he saw her clearly even in the darkness. “You’re making perfect sense.
“I’d give anything to not be Vikram Raawal for one day. To forget that my every breath, every look, every step is hounded by the media. To make mistakes like any other man and not be vilified for it. To throw off the shackles of...” He looked away, his fingers roughly thrusting through his hair. A laugh, full of self-mockery burst from his mouth. “God, you’re a dangerous woman. And believe me, I have known enough of them.”
Her smile faltered and he instantly caught it. “What have I said wrong?”
“I don’t like the way you lump women together, as if we all share the same brain. The same thoughts. Have the same agenda.”
“That’s the second time this week I’ve been criticized by someone for my bias against women.” He rubbed a hand over his face, as if he was truly tired. “As galling as it is to admit, I owe both of you an apology,” he said, stealing away the ground from under her feet.
Another teasing smile. “Now you’re shocked that I even know the meaning of the word.”
“No, I just...”
“It’s okay. Even with that mask on, you have the most expressive face I’ve ever seen. Your eyes flash like glittering gems when you’re angry and your mouth...” His gaze dipped to it and a flash of electricity seemed to strike them both simultaneously.
Suddenly depleting the air from the room. Filling her skin with a restless energy. Filling her mind with impossibly wanton desires that could never come true.
